A free film screening of the documentary, The President and the Dragon, and Q&A with former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and The Carter Center’s Sarah Yerian
At just 10 human cases, reports of Guinea worm, a debilitating parasitic disease with no vaccine or drug treatment, are at an all-time low, according to The Carter Center.* What drove this success?
This event includes a free screening of The President and the Dragon, a documentary about former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s efforts to eradicate Guinea worm. Followed by a Q&A about Guinea worm, global health, and storytelling. Light refreshments to follow.
*Figures are provisional until officially confirmed.
Speakers
Rochelle Walensky
Sarah Yerian
Moderator
Emily Staub
About The Organizers
Harmonizing for Happiness: Finding Calm, Connection, and Joy Through Song
Harmonizing for Happiness: Finding Calm, Connection, and Joy Through Song is an interactive well-being workshop that invites all members of the Harvard community to explore how group singing can reduce stress, lift mood, and build a sense of connection—no musical experience required. Led by Center Student Engagement Committee member Priyam Bhushan Aturi, MPH ’26, this 50-minute session will combine a brief, accessible overview of the science behind singing and well-being with guided warm-ups, simple humming exercises, and inclusive group singing activities in a low-pressure, non-judgmental environment. Participants will have the chance to notice the emotional and physical effects of singing together, reflect as a group, and leave with practical tools—like humming or simple vocal exercises—that they can use in daily life to support their mental health and resilience. Lunch will be provided.
Speaker Information
Priyam Bhushan Aturi
Organizers
Redesigning Calm: Designing Nature-Inspired Spaces
Redesigning Calm invites members of the Harvard community to explore how our surroundings shape mental and physical well-being. Drawing inspiration from organic and landscape architecture that harmonize natural light, greenery, and spatial flow, alongside modern biophilic design, this hands-on workshop encourages participants to reimagine familiar built environment, such as campus study or personal spaces, through a restorative lens. Using sensory observation, art materials, and natural elements, participants will creatively redesign spaces to help ease stress and anxiety, promote calm, and restore focus.
This well-being workshop will be led by Center Student Engagement Committee member Olivia Song, MPH ’27. Pizza (and plants!) will be provided.
Speaker Information
Olivia Song
Organizers
SPARK: Strategy, Participation, Action, Recognition, Knowledge
SPARK: 10 minutes. No silos. No awkward silences.
SPARK (Strategy, Participation, Action, Recognition, Knowledge) will kick off with two events this February.
Join us on Tuesday, February 24 or Wednesday, February 25 from 1:00–2:00 PM in the Kresge Cafeteria.
What is SPARK?
SPARK is an opportunity for Harvard Chan School staff, faculty, researchers, and students to make person-to-person connections. Join us for a 10-minute activity to shake up your week and shake off the winter blues.
What’s this event all about?
Join us in the Kresge Cafeteria for a quick game designed to help you meet new people in the Harvard Chan community and learn new things about friends, colleagues, and classmates. There are no wrong answers and all are welcome. You can even win prizes, like a week of free lunches at Sebastian’s Café Snacks will be provided. No RSVP is needed.
There will be two sessions for this event, one on Tuesday, February 24 and one on Wednesday, February 25. Both will take place from 1:00–2:00 PM in the Kresge Cafeteria.
Why come to a SPARK event?
We believe the more connected we are, the more we can accomplish together. SPARK is designed to strengthen connections, break down silos, and build trust.
Organizers
SPARK: Strategy, Participation, Action, Recognition, Knowledge
SPARK: 10 minutes. No silos. No awkward silences.
SPARK (Strategy, Participation, Action, Recognition, Knowledge) will kick off with two events this February.
Join us on Tuesday, February 24 or Wednesday, February 25 from 1:00–2:00 PM in the Kresge Cafeteria.
Update: SPARK has been canceled for February 24 due to inclement weather. The event on February 25 will go forward as planned!
What is SPARK?
SPARK is an opportunity for Harvard Chan School staff, faculty, researchers, and students to make person-to-person connections. Join us for a 10-minute activity to shake up your week and shake off the winter blues.
What’s this event all about?
Join us in the Kresge Cafeteria for a quick game designed to help you meet new people in the Harvard Chan community and learn new things about friends, colleagues, and classmates. There are no wrong answers and all are welcome. You can even win prizes, like a week of free lunches at Sebastian’s Café Snacks will be provided. No RSVP is needed.
There will be two sessions for this event, one on Tuesday, February 24 and one on Wednesday, February 25. Both will take place from 1:00–2:00 PM in the Kresge Cafeteria.
Why come to a SPARK event?
We believe the more connected we are, the more we can accomplish together. SPARK is designed to strengthen connections, break down silos, and build trust.
Organizers
Presented jointly with the Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention
In this timely panel, experts will take a look at healthy hydration. How can fluids such as clean drinking water, coffee, and tea boost health, while beverages such as alcohol, soda, and other sugary drinks raise health risks. And how do these choices potentially influence cancer risk? Tune in to this event – part of the Zhu Center’s month-long commemoration of World Cancer Day — to hear clear, evidence-based information.
Speaker Information
Moderator
About The Organizers
Psychotropic Medication Safety in Pregnancy: Moving Beyond Malformation Risk
Join us on Wednesday, May 6th for the Department of Epidemiology seminar series featuring Dr. Krista Huybrechts discussing Psychotropic Medication Safety in Pregnancy: Moving Beyond Malformation Risk.
Abstract: Psychotropic medication use during pregnancy has increased substantially, heightening the need for robust evidence to guide prescribing and to inform patients about the risks and benefits of treatment continuation. Historically, research has focused on congenital malformations—paradigmatic harms in the shadow of the thalidomide catastrophe—but other unintended drug effects are equally important and pose distinct methodological challenges. This seminar will examine what we have learned about studying outcomes such as nonlive births and longterm neurodevelopment in children, highlighting study design challenges, potential biases, and data issues that shape inferences about psychotropic medication safety in pregnancy.
Bio: Krista Huybrechts is Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She co-founded and co-directs the Harvard Program on Perinatal and Pediatric Pharmacoepidemiology (H4P). Her work, which is funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health, focuses on the use of advanced epidemiological and statistical methods applied mainly to large databases derived from health data collected in the context of routine medical care to help address the unique questions regarding benefit-risk trade-off for prescription medication use faced by women of reproductive age and pregnant women.
Speaker Information
Organizers
Related Events
Brown Bag Seminar: Parental mental health and childhood vaccination in India: Evidence from the SEHAT-CPHS Longitudinal Study
Henry Cust, PhD, is an economist working as a research scientist at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. His research operates at the intersection of health and development economics with a focus on critical global health issues including antimicrobial resistance (AMR), HIV, mental health, and risky health behaviors. Utilizing both experimental and quasi-experimental methods, Henry’s work aims to strengthen health systems and improve health outcomes, especially among vulnerable populations.
Speaker Information
Organizers
Monday Nutrition Seminar | Integrating Multi-Omics and Blood-Based ATX(N) Biomarkers to Identify Precision Dietary Paths for Alzheimer’s Prevention in Harvard Cohorts
Please join the Department of Nutrition for the Monday Nutrition Seminar featuring Daniel Wang, MD, ScD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at HMS and Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition at HSPH. Dr. Wang’s talk—”Integrating Multi-Omics and Blood-Based ATX(N) Biomarkers to Identify Precision Dietary Paths for Alzheimer’s Prevention in Harvard Cohorts”—will take place on February 9 at 1:00pm ET in FXB G-13 and via Zoom (registration is required).
Healthy snacks will be provided, thanks to the generous support of the Wellbeing Project Fund from the Office of the Associate Provost for Student Affairs.
The Monday Nutrition Seminar Series is free and open to the public. If you plan to attend this event and do not have an active HUID, please fill out the registration form by 3:00pm ET on the Friday before the seminar to request a visitor pass to access the building.
Seminar speakers share their perspectives, they do not speak for Harvard.
Speaker Information
Organizers
Health journalism case study series with Gabriella Stern
Join us for part one of an engaging case study series led by Gabriella Stern, journalist and former Director of Communications at the World Health Organization. In this session, we’ll dig into a compelling piece of health journalism—how complex health topics are communicated to the public, what we can learn from journalistic choices, framing, and impact, and actionable-takeaways for your own health communication.
Lunch will be served.
Speakers will share their own perspectives; they do not speak for Harvard.